A boy who lost his leg after colliding with a city trash truck has reached a tentative multi-million dollar settlement with the City of San Diego according to an attorney.

Luke Acuna was riding his skateboard from school to a YMCA in University Heights on Nov. 17, 2011 when he was struck by a San Diego city garbage truck.

The 9-year-old Acuna lost his leg as a result of the crash.

The driver was not cited by San Diego police however the family filed a civil suit against the city in April 2012 arguing the driver made a dangerous K-turn instead of a U-turn. In a “K-Turn," the driver makes a left turn and then reverses back through the intersection before changing direction.

A spokesperson for the City Attorney’s Office said the case is being handled by Grant, Genovese & Baratta outside counsel.

Attorney Jim Baratta told NBC 7 San Diego Tuesday that both sides have reached a tentative agreement for $18.5 million.

The settlement still has to be heard & approved by the San Diego City Council and the San Diego Superior Court.

Ed. Note: A previous version of the article identiifed Jim Baratta as the Acuna family's attorney. We regret the error.

San Diego Fire-Rescue teams spent the morning Tuesday packing, ready to jump into action if needed by Oklahoma tornado victims

NBC 7: Devastation in Oklahoma

San Diego Search and Rescue Task Force 8 (TF8) members organized 14 aircraft-sized pallets with search and rescue equipment, medical equipment, and logistics to support an 80-person team in a disaster area.

The pallets are netted in a configuration so they can be delivered by air or ground.

“We are first up in the national rotation so if they have an extended incident or they have another incident, we are up to be called for any type of extended operation,” said Battalion Chief Chris Webber.

Once the team lands it’s a full-time, non-stop search and rescue effort.

“When you’re deployed to that, you have a mission, a job to do,” Webber said. “You focus on that.“

The hurry-up and go part of the job keeps their minds occupied.

“So you don’t get too wrapped up in the emotional part of it,” he explained.

The American Red Cross was preparing to move more than 25 Emergency Response Vehicles to Moore, Oklahoma at first light Tuesday.

Members of the San Diego’s chapter of the American Red Cross say they believe it’s likely they will send an ERV to help in rescue and recover efforts at the scene of Monday’s devastating tornado.

One San Diegan will head to Washington, D.C., to help with coordinating relief efforts Red Cross officials said.

As officials get a better idea of the damage caused by Monday’s powerful tornado, they may request more help.

“Over the course of the next 24 to 36 hours, we’ll be deploying people,” said Red Cross public information officer Amy Laurel Hegy. “Just begin to do what we can. Watch Video

Hegy was in Joplin for three weeks as one of 130,000 volunteers following a deadly tornado two years ago today. She described what she imagined the atmosphere is like on the ground in Moore, Okla.

“Right now it’s chaos personified,” she said. “A large number of people are coming in to assist wherever they can.”

“The mood there is going to begin to shift dramatically. Right now everyone has adrenaline going and they don’t really know which way they’re going. Things are going to be settling down where people will begin to really come into the shelters,” she said.

Texting 90999 from your mobile phone will send a $10 donation to the American Red Cross.

An El Centro-based U.S. Border Patrol agent drowned at a well-known waterfall on Hawaii.

Witnesses say Kris Gungon, 31, died while swimming Sunday at Waimea Falls on the north shore of Oahu.

A close family friend told NBC 7 San Diego that Gungon jumped into the pool at the base of the falls to help a female swimmer.

Waimea Falls lifeguards were able to rescue the woman but were unable to save Gungon.  Divers reported finding him in approximately 20 feet of water.

The Visitor Aloha Society of Hawai`i (VASH) helps tourists who are victims of accidents or crime while visiting the islands. 

A spokesperson said the family is working with officials to return to the mainland with Gungon's remains.

"They said there’s no way to describe how awesome Kris was," Jessica Rich with the VASH said.

“There is a hole in our hearts today and we will miss him,” the statement read.

Gungon's Facebook profile includes images of his daughter Evan Rose, born in December 2012.

The U.S. Border Patrol confirmed Agent Gungon’s death adding that the cause was still under investigation.

Gungon entered on duty with the U.S. Border Patrol on March 05, 2009, and was assigned to the El Centro Border Patrol Station which is part of the El Centro Sector.

Ed. Note: The original version of this article reported misinformation from a Hawai'i television news website. The article has since been corrected. We regret the error.

Hawaii News Now - KGMB and KHNL

One of the most expensive homes to hit the market in the United States is now on sale—in Connecticut.

The $190 million Greenwich estate includes two islands in the Long Island Sound, nearly a mile of shore front property, and a rich history dating back to the late 19th Century.

The 12-bedroom home was built in 1898 and purchased just after the turn of the century by the daughter of George Lauder, a partner in Carnegie Steel. It was then purchased in the early 1980s by timber tycoon John Rudey, who has decided to sell the property, the Wall Street Journal reported.

An 1,800-foot driveway with cobblestone gutters leads up to the so-called Copper Beech Farm, which boasts a pool, a spa, a grass tennis court, a greenhouse, a stone carriage house and cottage on more than 50 acres of land.

Inside, the home has all the marks of old world luxury: a library with a fireplace, balconies, a staff wing, staff kitchen, dumb waiter, wine cellar, skylights and marble bathrooms.

It's unclear whether the home will actually sell for its asking price. The Journal points out that in 2009 Candy Spelling made headlines when she listed her Los Angeles mansion at $150 million—the home sold for $85 million.

The property is by far the most expensive currently listed on the site of David Ogilvy & Associates, an affiliate of Christie's International Real Estate. The next priciest available is another Greenwich estate selling for just $32 million.

Christie's shows several properties hovering around the $100 million-mark, but none that touch the Copper Beech Farm's $190 price tag. A Beverly Hills home that appeared in "The Godfather" and "The Bodyguard" is on sale for $115 million, as is a $95 million Fifth Avenue residence overlooking Central Park.

A Temecula woman is asking for the public’s help to find her stolen pet cockatoo, Soloman.

Katie Aldrich told NBC 7 that Soloman was stolen Monday at the Haunted Head Saloon in Oceanside. Aldrich says she was sitting outside the bar with Soloman on her lap when a man approached her and started asking questions about the bird.

Aldrich said the man suddenly grabbed Soloman and jumped into a red Ford F-150 truck. Aldrich’s husband, a Camp Pendleton Marine, tried to stop the truck, but couldn’t.

Aldrich said she's devastated about her missing bird. She said cockatoos can live to be 75 years old.

“I can’t have kids. He was the one thing I was going to have my entire life,” Aldrich said. “I feel like my whole heart is gone.”

She's hoping surveillance video at the bar will help identify a suspect.

Oceanside Police confirmed a report has been filed for the missing bird.

Soloman has salmon-colored feathers. Aldrich said he has scoliosis and has a golf ball-sized bump on his back.

Anyone with information is asked to call Oceanside Police.

After two years of campaigning bolstered by record contributions, the mayoral race between City Councilman Eric Garcetti and Controller Wendy Greuel comes to a close Tuesday as voters take to the polls.

The winner of the run-off election to replace outgoing Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will give the city of Los Angeles either its first female or first Jewish mayor—a leader who will inherit a city still struggling to pull itself from an extended fiscal slump.

In their sprint to the finish line, both Democratic contenders with similar voting records tried to differentiate themselves from each other in down-to-the-wire pitches to undecided voters.

“If you want an independent mayor with proven results, somebody who’s delivered neighborhood turnaround, who’s balanced budgets, I’m your guy," said Garcetti, who was leading by 7 percentage points in the most recent USC Price/Los Angeles Time poll released Friday.

Greuel, who has racked up endorsements from high profile figures, including former President Bill Clinton and Magic Johnson, emphasized her experience as the city government's top critic for the last three years.

“My history has been one of stepping up to the plate and being that tough fiscal watchdog,” she said. “My history has been for standing up for the taxpayers of L.A. and that’s what I’m going to do as mayor.”

The contest to succeed Villaraigosa, who leaves office at the end of June with high marks from his constituents, broke spending records Saturday as outside contributions topped $33 million.

The candidates have received rival endorsements—Greuel from the L.A. Chamber of Commerce, the Daily News and U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer; Garcetti from the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, the L.A. Times and Newark Mayor Cory Booker—but the money and attention the race has garnered is not expected to be matched by voter turnout.

When the two faced off in March for a primary contest, which failed to give either the majority needed for an outright victory, only 21 percent of the city’s registered voters cast a ballot in the race.

Leading up to Tuesday's runoff election, both candidates have made more aggressive attempts to woo Latinos, which represent nearly half of the city's population and roughly a third of eligible voters.

Garcetti, a Spanish-speaker who leads among the coveted demographic, according to recent polls, has talked about his paternal grandparents' emigration from Mexico. Greuel, who has endorsements from prominent Latino leaders, has stumped before Spanish-speaking crowds.

"The candidates are reaching out to the Latino community because they know, with ... a few hundred votes, they can change the entire makeup of the city," Elisa Sequeira, the head of civic engagement for California's National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials told NBC 4 LA.

Just 400,000 of the city's 1.8 million registered voters are expected to cast ballots in the election Tuesday. A smaller voter pool, however, does give some advantages to those who do participate.

“These smaller elections, when you vote for city council, mayor, you have more say. Your vote counts more and as an individual, it affects us more,” web designer Mary Jane Zorick told NBC 4 LA.

Voters will also select  a new city controller and city attorney Tuesday. Polls close at 8 p.m. and results can be monitored here.

About 13,000 union workers at five University of California medical centers, including the one in San Diego, began a two-day strike Tuesday.

Workers walked out after a judge approved the two day strike at the five largest University of California medical centers, including the centers in La Jolla and Hillcrest.

UC San Diego has canceled 120 surgeries and 350 radiology procedures over the next 48 hours administrators told NBC 7 San Diego.

UC hospital workers argue that the lack of staffing due to budget cuts has affected patient safety and their benefits.

Randall Johnson, an MRI technologist at UCSF, said employees are staging the work action over staffing levels, contracting out, pension  contributions and other issues.

"We've been in negotiations for over a year and there's been no  major movement on the core issues so we're at an impasse," Johnson said on Monday.

Hospital administrators expressed disappointment that the unions have used the strike as a tactic to get what they want.

"Patients shouldn't be in the middle of a labor dispute," Dwaine Duckett, UC's vice president for human resources said.

UC's Senior Vice President for Health Sciences and Services John Stobo estimated the strike will cost $20 million, which he said means that "there will be fewer dollars to  support the education of medical students and residents to support programs  to improve medical care."

A Sacramento County Superior Court judge issued an injunction  Monday that limits the scope of the strike but said it could take place.

National City police are investigating the shooting of a teenager outside a bakery on E. 18th Street.

Emergency crews found the 19-year-old man with multiple gunshot wounds outside the Denis’s Bakery on the corner of E. 18th Street and Highland Avenue Monday.

Officers received a call reporting several shots fired at that location around 9 p.m.

The teenager was transported to UCSD Medical Center with what officials described as critical injuries. He was said to be in surgery late Monday night.

Several hours later, National City police investigators said they were looking for two suspects seen leaving in a gray sedan traveling northbound on Highland Ave.

Do you prefer the Chinese Pistache or the Coast Live Oak? Oceanside city leaders want to know.

They’ve put out the call for residents to vote for their favorite to help the city select its official tree.

The trees are separated into two categories: Native/naturalized nominated and ornamental. The tree with the most votes in each category will be planted as part of a special Arbor Day celebration in a City of Oceanside park.

Check out the trees on the city's website.

Votes will be collected until June 1, 2013.

Nearly a year after his face was horribly maimed in a vicious attack on the MacArthur Causeway, Ronald Poppo spoke publicly for the first time in a video released by Jackson Memorial Hospital Tuesday.

Wearing a Miami Heat hat and sitting on a hospital bed, Poppo is seen strumming a guitar before giving thanks to his doctors and the community.

"Thanks for considering, helping out, people in my predicament need to be helped out and I'm sure there's other people also that have the same type of predicament," Poppo said in the brief video. "I thank the outpouring of people in the community, I will always be grateful for them."

Miami Face-Mauling Victim Recalls Attack

The video was released during a news conference at Jackson Medical Center, where the 66-year-old continues to recover from the injuries he suffered in the May 26, 2012 attack.

New photos from Poppo's birthday celebration at the hospital were also released.

Poppo remains completely blind following the attack and has undergone four surgeries since the attack but remains in good spirits, his doctors said.

Face Mauler Allegedly Met Victim Before Attack: Report

"He's had a long year but he's managed to cope quite well with what's happened to him," Dr. Wrood Kassira said. "I would say he's content with where he is right now."

Kassira, one of Jackson's plastic surgeons, said Poppo had skin grafting surgery and all his wounds have closed.

"He had extensive trauma to his face, it was bad," Kassira said.

Poppo has been told of his options for more surgeries or prosthetics for his eyes and nose, but he hasn't been interested in them. He has undergone four surgeries and is unwilling to have further reconstruction.

"There's still work that can be done, but he's more than happy with how he is now, he's quite grateful," Kassira said.

Poppo has gained more than 50 pounds since he was brought to Ryder Trauma Center, and continues to work with an occupational therapist who has taught him how to dress himself, feed himself, shower and shave.

Doctors gave Poppo a guitar to help with his therapy, and he practices with it every day. He played guitar 40 years ago when he was in a band and is trying to pick up chords but not being able to see makes it tough, they said.

The incident unfolded when a naked, 31-year-old Rudy Eugene attacked Poppo and stripped him of his clothes on the causeway last May, police said.

Only Marijuana Found in Face Chewer's System: Medical Examiner

An officer eventually shot and killed Eugene after he refused to stop the attack, police said. By that point Eugene had gnawed away more than half of Poppo's face, gauged out his left eye, and severely damaged his right one.

Authorities had initially speculated that bath salts may have been the cause of the attack, but the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner said tests showed only marijuana in Eugene's system.

Doctors, meanwhile, say Poppo is adjusting to his new life.

"I think he wants the world to know he's not traumatized by this," Dr. Urmen Desai said. "He's a simple guy and he's happy and grateful for being alive after such an incident."

Click Here to Watch the YouTube Video

Teachers and principals in the Poway Unified School District are learning how to react during a school shooting.

Abraxas High School set the stage for a simulated shooting drill Monday. San Diego County Sheriff’s deputies and Poway firefighters demonstrated how they would handle an emergency on campus.

During the 3.5 hour exercise, deputies with mock firearms searched for the “shooter.” They secured classrooms and evacuated students. Firefighters treated volunteers, posing as wounded victims.

“For law enforcement, we train this all the time,” said Lt. Jeff Duckworth of the Poway Sheriff’s Station. “But for someone who’s never seen this, it can be traumatic.”

Although scary, school administrators say exercises like this are well worth it.

“It’s hard to say when the actual event occurs how you would respond at the moment,” said Dave MacLeod, assistant principal at Abraxas High School. “But it’s to give you that awareness that it will occur fast.”

"It takes your breath away," PUSD Superintendent John Collins said. "It enforces how serious this could be and how important it is we are ready and trained."

Two San Diego contractors were sentenced for their role in a Navy bribery scheme Monday.

Robert Ehnow, 46, owner of L&N Industrial Tool and Supply, was sentenced to three years in federal prison. He will also have to pay $759,937 in restitution to the Navy.

Joanne Loehr, 52, owner of Centerline Industrial, Inc., will also spend three years in prison and pay $300,000, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Ehnow and Loehr were convicted bribery and conspiracy in March. They were convicted of bribing officials at Naval Air Station North Island with lavish gifts, including cash, gift cards, massage chairs and flat screen TVs.

In exchange, L&N, Centerline and a third company, X&D Supply, Inc., received more than $6 million in defense contracts.

Federal officials started investigating the case in 2009 after receiving an anonymous tip. Four other contractors and five former Navy officials have already been convicted in the bribery ring, according to officials.

Follow @nbcbayarea

The NFL is poised to declare on Tuesday which city will host the the 50th Super Bowl in 2016: Santa Clara or Miami.

A total of 32 owners are meeting in Boston and they are expected to announce their decision on Super Bowl L about 11 a.m. The winning bid needs 24 votes.

If the new 49ers stadium is chosen, it will be the first time in 28 years that the Big Game will have been played in the Bay Area. The last time was in 1985 at Stanford Stadium.

MORE: Bay Area Prepares to Make its Super Bowl Bid

Most expect Santa Clara to win the bid. It may not even be so much about what the Bay Area has going for it, as what Florida doesn’t.

The Sunshine State recently failed to pass a funding mechanism that would’ve provided needed improvement’s to the aging Sun Life stadium where the Dolphins play, considered a linchpin of its bid.

The new, high-tech San Francisco 49ers stadium, which will top $1.2 billion when the construction is complete, is set to open in 2014. Levi's recently announced a $220 million naming rights deal to brand the new arena, Levi's Stadium.

In addition, the Bay Area's Super Bowl committee has lined up $30 million dollars in funding pledges from Bay Area companies like Apple, Google and Hewlett-Packard. A total of $8 million of that is earmarked for Bay Area charities.  

The runner-up of Tuesday's vote gets to contend for  Super Bowl LI.

NBC Bay Area's Joe Rosato Jr. and Bob Redell contributed to this report.

San Diego Mayor Bob Filner has injected himself into a federal criminal case against the operator of a medical marijuana dispensary, intensifying his standoff with federal prosecutors on cannabis enforcement issues.

Timeline: Medicial Marijuana in San Diego

Filner's urging jurors who'll be chosen for the trial to reject federal law in favor of state statutes under a centuries-old legal concept known as “jury nullification"-- whereby jurors can refuse to convict people under laws they believe should not be applied.

It's a bold, brash move that's potentially controversial and politically risky for a mayor.

But that's not atypical of the former "Freedom Rider" who served two months of jail time in Mississippi during the early years of the Civil Rights Era.

"This is way overdoing it when local laws, state laws allow compassionate use of medical marijuana,” Filner told reporters at the downtown U.S. District Court complex Monday. “Someone should not be going through this stage of prosecution for trying to help people to have access to medical marijuana."

Filner spoke after attending a pretrial hearing for Ronnie Chang, a San Marcos man busted along with more than a dozen marijuana collective and dispensary operators countywide in late 2009.

The case has is now heading to a trial, expected to begin this fall.

Chang has been in custody since his bond was revoked last year.

On Monday’s docket were prosecutors’ arguments that Chang's attorney, Michael McCabe, violated a judicial order against discussing the case in public by giving a videotaped interview to medical marijuana activists that was posted YouTube. It has since attracted a little more than 500 views.

McCabe told Judge Michael Anello that he'd request that San Diego Americans for Safe Access, the video’s producer and YouTube account holder, take down the video.

That seemed to satisfy the judge and Asst. U.S. Attorney Paul Starita, at least for the moment.

Meantime, federal and county authorities continue to raid pot shops in San Diego, after Filner's "stand-down" order to police while the City Council works on a medical marijuana dispensary ordinance.

The mayor is calling on Chang’s eventual jurors to send a message.

"It's time, like with Prohibition, to step back and say this was a stupid thing to do,” Filner said outside the courthouse. “Let's step back, and juries ought to take the lead and say that to the federal government…and if the federal government isn't listening to the mayor, maybe they'll listen to the jury."

Representatives of the U.S. Attorney's office listened in on Filner's remarks to the media.

They told NBC 7 that prosecutors would have no comment.

Navy dolphins discovered an unusual torpedo off the coast of San Diego and handlers said it was obvious within minutes that the find was significant.

The dolphins were working off the coast of Coronado on mine-hunting training exercises in March when they recovered a 130-year-old Howell torpedo – one of the first self-propelled torpedoes developed and used by the U.S. Navy.

“There were only 50 Howell torpedoes made, and we discovered one of the two ever found,” said Braden Duryee, operations supervisor for the SSC Pacific Biosciences Division.

Within two weeks, two dolphins marked the object on the sea floor doing their regular daily training exercises.

The dolphins, named Ten and Spetz, followed procedure when an object of interest is discovered by surfacing and touching the side of a trailing boat in a certain manner.

Navy divers then went in and recovered it.

“It was puzzling and exciting,” said Chris Harris, Operations Supervisor for Navy Marine Mammals Program.

It’s so old, the divers actually Google'd information to identify it.

The rare torpedo was 11-feet long and propelled by a flywheel spun before launch.

“It’s almost Victorian in its design,” Harris said.

It could move at a speed of 25 knots and had a range of 400 yards SSC Pacific experts said.

The Naval Undersea Museum houses the only other known Howell torpedo in existence today.

The Howell torpedo recovered by SSC Pacific, is stamped “USN No. 24” and is said to be in pristine shape.

Duryee said it’s no surprise the dolphins found the item. What’s surprising to him is the torpedo's age.

As NBC 7 reported in November 2002, the dolphins train almost daily in the shadow of San Diego's skyline. Watch Video: Navy-Trained Dolphins Search for Bombs

In 1959, Navy scientists studied dolphins in an attempt to design a faster torpedo. That program quickly shifted focus to covert training. Several decades later, the program was declassified.

The dolphins are trained to find any types of items that are man-made. in the 50 years MMP has been around, dolphins have discovered and marked a number of unique items in the ocean.

In addition to dolphins, the Navy uses sea lions to recover objects like military hardware off the bottom of the ocean. 

NBC 7 has learned the driver accused in Saturday’s road rage incident on the Coronado Bay Bridge has a prior criminal record and history of mental health problems.

A motorcyclist exchanged words and hand gestures with the driver of a blue BMW while both were traveling westbound atop the bridge around 6 p.m.

San Diego police investigators say the BMW driver intentionally struck the motorcycle. Two people were thrown from the bike.

The BMW driver, Phillip Michael Eggers was booked on two felony charges including first-degree attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm. He is slated to be arraigned Wednesday.

According to court records, Eggers, 24, has three prior criminal cases. He has also admitted to previous street racing, according to psychological reports.

Documents show that in 2011, Eggers’ attorneys sought to have him serve the entirety of a 36-month sentence for burglary at the Vista Detention facility to assure that he receive “proper medication and treatment.”

Prior to his incarceration, Eggers was diagnosed with Bipolar I Disorder and ADHD the court records show. At the time, he was being treated with “medication management and individual therapy.”

Court paperwork shows Eggers behavioral problems started in the second grade. By the fifth grade it was determined he had “severe learning disabilities.” At this time, documents show, he was hospitalized at Sharp Hospital for ‘out of control behavior’.

Psychological reports included in the court documents indicate a long and significant history of emotional problems. In 2008, a doctor determined Eggers has ‘severe bipolar disorder’ and ‘angry outbursts.’

It also says when properly medicated and treated, Eggers is a ‘model citizen.’

A former attorney for Eggers said the description of Saturday's incident is "out of character" and he describes Eggers as a "gentle, non-violent" person.

Another significant finding comes from a psychological report that talks about his involvement with streets racing and use of a modified Corvette, which belonged to his father. “I’ve been in my share of street races,” Eggers tells the psychologist. 

San Diego Chargers staff has decided to limit linebacker Manti Te'o’s access to the media until mid-June.

The football player’s personal life has been highlighted ever since he played at Notre Dame, where he was at the center of an elaborate hoax which involved a fake girlfriend. Since then, he has been drafted by the Chargers.

And Te’o still seems to be a ways off from warding questions about his past.

Maxim recently featured “Manti Te'o's Fake Girlfriend” on its annual list of the world’s 100 hottest women. The magazine said, “We think it might be nice to have an invisible girl of our own to love.”

Te’o then reportedly went to a Maxim promotional party in Los Angeles last week, where women featured on the list were in attendance.
 
On Monday, the media was not granted access to Te’o. During a Q-and-A session that afternoon, new coach Mike McCoy was asked by reporters why Te’o will not face the press until the mini-camp from June 11-13.

“Well we have a plan for him like everyone else,” said McCoy. “He’s here, he’s a young player and the organization has a schedule for him like we do every other player of putting him in front of the media, we’ll do it accordingly.”

The coach was then asked if he thought it was appropriate for Te’o to attend the Maxim party.

“Well he’s going to make certain decisions that he’s going to make and we’ll keep that in-house with what we think and what we do with that,” said McCoy.

McCoy added that he was unaware that Te’o attended the magazine event.

Two window washers were stuck near the 21st floor of a downtown building, according to fire officials.

The incident happened around 1:40 p.m. at the Advanced Equity Plaza building at the intersection of Broadway and Kettner Avenue.

Officials said the basket was stuck.

Aerial views show the workers were closer to the top of the building. Firefighters were able to rescue them using a hoist and both men have made it to the ground safely.

No injuries have been reported.

A woman is fighting for her life at a hospital after being set on fire Monday morning inside a North Texas convenience store.

Witnesses said a woman walked into the Buy and Save convenience store at the Texaco gas station on Long Ave. and Azle Ave. in Fort Worth and doused the victim with flammable liquid.

Witnesses said it "took one second" for the attacker to light the victim on fire after dousing her with the liquid. Witnesses said they couldn't tell how she ignited the fire. They added she didn't say anything to the victim before lighting her on fire.

The victim's friend, standing nearby, caught on fire as well.

The attacker got into a car that was waiting for her in the parking lot and they drove off.

Fort Worth police haven't identified the attacker, anyone else in the vehicle, or the kind of car. Detectives spent seven hours at the store collecting evidence and taking photographs.

The Buy and Save had surveillance cameras inside the store. Police are looking through those videos now trying to identify the attacker.

NBC5 spoke with Alex Hilo, the night shift worker at the Buy and Save.

"I was making the coffee and I see a bunch of fire going, I go and try to help her out. I threw some water on her, to put the fire out. But this thing happened too fast," Hilo said.

"All I saw was just fire. Somebody threw something and lit someone on fire. It was scary thing," he added. "All the top of her body [was burned]. Her hair, her face, everything was burned."

Hilo said the victim's screams for help sounded like a "nightmare."

Moments after the attack, Hilo rushed into action. He grabbed jugs of water from the store shelves and poured them on the victim. He also started grabbing at her clothes.

"I wanted to take her clothes, there was liquid on it, so I knew if I could get her clothes off, there'd be less fire," he said.

The victim was transported via helicopter to a Dallas hospital. Firefighters said she has life-threatening burns over her entire body. Her name has not been released because police haven't contacted her family.

"It appears to be a targeted attack. That's what it looks like right now. This women had some type of previous relationship prior to this incident occurring,” said Tim Hardeman, with the Fort Worth Fire Department.

The victim's friend was also rushed to the hospital with burns over her back.

Alex Hilo also suffered minor burns on his hands and forearms from trying to save the women's lives. He was treated on scene.

"There's no time to think. I had to act fast, fast fast," he said.

Hilo said the victims are regular customers during his shift, but he doesn't know their names. He also said the suspect is a regular customer, too, but he doesn't know her name either.

NBC 5's Greg Janda contributed to an earlier version of this story.

California Highway Patrol officers have shut down two lanes of northbound State Route 125 south of Interstate 8 Tuesday morning because of an overturned vehicle with two people trapped inside.

The vehicle flipped onto its roof along the highway near the exit to Grossmont Boulevard.

Crews with two tow trucks moved the vehicle onto its wheels and cleared the debris from the crash.

Check Interactive Traffic Map

As of 7:48 a.m., CHP had reopened the two lanes on SR-125 to traffic but still had the Grossmont Boulevard exit closed.
 

Many a movie star calls a hotel home at one time or another, thanks in part to location shoots and publicity tours. But few actor-hotel pairings have reached the icon status of Marilyn Monroe's sojourn at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

Yes, the home of the first Academy Awards has seen hundreds of other thespians over the decades, both as residents and as party or dinner guests, but Ms. Monroe far and away is the most famous. Guests today can stay in the Marilyn Monroe Suite -- it's a spacious 750 feet and overlooks the Tropicana Pool -- and now they can dine on treats inspired by the silver-screen starlet.

Public Kitchen & Bar is the place, and the treats? There's a trio. Order the miniature Strawberry Blonde Cupcakes and discuss "The Seven Year Itch" as you eat them (the white frosting is meant to mimic the subway grate scene). The Marilyn Suite cocktail is made with strawberry vodka and some other fruit-sweet touches, and Neapolitan Meatballs serve as a savory reminder of the dish Joe DiMaggio taught Ms. Monroe to make.

The last dish is available during Public's weekday happy hour.

It is a fine pairing, star and supping, especially when you consider that so many restaurants and hotels sometimes use a past celebrity's name even if the celeb had little or nothing to do with the spot. Marilyn Monroe definitely lived there, famously so, so the ties are strong and worth celebrating.

Oh, and Monroe buffs? The 26-foot tall Marilyn Monroe sculpture is set to leave Palm Springs in September. Best get out to see it before it departs the desert.

A massive 200 mph tornado ripped through the Oklahoma City area on Monday afternoon and left a 20-mile path of destruction in its wake. At least 24 people were killed, the Oklahoma City medical examiner said, and rescue crews are searching frantically as night falls to find survivors in the wreckage.

“The whole city looks like a debris field,” said Mayor Glenn Lewis of the city of Moore, which appeared to be hardest hit.

Check out the videos, images and tweets from the ground:

A man in his mid-30’s was injured while skydiving Sunday officials said. 

An emergency call went out for help around 7:14 p.m. after a skydiving accident south of San Diego.

Chula Vista firefighters responded to Skydive San Diego on Otay Lakes Road.

The injured person was airlifted to Scripps Mercy Hospital with moderate injuries officials said.

Firefighters said the injury occurred during a dive but as of 11 p.m., could not say if the jump was connected to the school or independent of the school.

A deputy fire chief with Chula Vista Fire Department told NBC 7 San Diego the skydiver may have been injured in a mid-air collision however, the victim has said he has no recollection of what happened.

 

"I get it fans!!!! Won't happen again!" -- Keenan Allen, Chargers rookie, posted that to Twitter Saturday after the unfortunate choice of hats he made when shooting a Vine video. 

The wide receiver just happened to be wearing an Oakland Raiders hat in the video.

You can just imagine how well that went over with Chargers fans.

On Monday, when members of the media had a chance to interview Allen about the controversy, he did talk about the incident and apologized.

He didn’t want to talk about it in depth and didn’t explain why he chose the hat.

He told the media that he made a mistake and talked with the team about it.

Defense captain Eric Weddle talked to him about it and Allen said that it won’t happen again.

Special Section: San Diego Chargers

The Raiders and Chargers have had a healthy animosity for one another since their days in the AFL.

The rivalry is so well-known in San Diego, a well-known bail bondsman once used Raiders fans in his popular television ads.
 

Local music fans can now put San Diego's music scene in their pocket with the new SoundDiego iPhone app.

If you’re already an avid follower of SoundDiego, you have an idea of what to expect from our shiny new app: It’s a one-stop destination for San Diego’s premier music coverage. Sure, you can expect frequently updated blog content, high quality video and exclusive concert galleries.

Go HERE to Download the SoundDiego iPhone App

With the app, though, you can now instantly get show listings from 100 of San Diego's top music venues. Want to know who’s at the Casbah tonight? It’s there. Who’s at Humphreys next week? There. Who’s playing in the neighborhood you’re in right now? It’s there

Fans can also send in concert pics for posting online and featuring on SoundDiego TV, and easily get on the guest list for our free parties, and stay connected to all our online content as well.
 
It’s never been easier to tune in to SoundDiego. It’s all in the palm of your hand. This is just another step of bringing San Diego’s music scene to local fans who can't make it to every show. Just as SoundDiego TV infiltrated the airwaves and SoundDiego LIVE brought free shows to venues near you, the SoundDiego app brings us into the mobile world.
 
Head to your the iTunes store to get your hands on San Diego’s newest mobile music companion.

Two crashes occurred within minutes of each other Monday, slowing the commute for many drivers using southbound Interstate 5.

Check Interactive Traffic Map

The first crash happened at 7:10 a.m. according to the California Highway Patrol.

Traffic slowed and a woman driving a white Honda Civic swerved to avoid a car in front of her, hitting the center divide.

Two motorcycles hit the Civic from behind. Both motorcyclists were transported to Scripps La Jolla, unknown injuries.

The second accident happened after two sedans collided trying to avoid first accident the CHP said.

No injuries.

An hour later, the gridlock had reached as far north as Palomar Airport Road in Carlsbad according to SigAlert.

NBC 7’s Whitney Southwick said commuters can find an alternate route south using Coast Highway or Camino Real to Manchester.
 

Metro-North is expected to resume limited train service on Tuesday afternoon between New York and New Haven. 

Regular service is expected to return to normal by Wednesday morning, five days after the train crash and derailment involving Metro-North Railroad trains near Bridgeport on Friday, May 17, Gov. Dannel Malloy said during a news conference on Monday afternoon.

"With one of the two damaged tracks rebuilt and returned to service, beginning with the 3:07 p.m. departure from Grand Central Terminal, Metro-North will operate about half of the regular eastbound PM peak service and regular hourly westbound service with the 4:23 PM train from New Haven," Metro-North said in a statement.

Speed will be reduced to 30 miles per hour, according to Metro-North, which is standard for all new track installations.

Amtrak is also expected to resume service between New York and New Haven today.

Work has been going on around the clock since Saturday night, when the National Transportation Safety Board completed its initial investigation of the scene and allowed Metro-North to begin removing the two 8-car trains, according to the MTA.

Malloy conceded that traffic on Connecticut's highways was not as congested as had been predicted, but urged people to carpool or work from home on Tuesday to avoid major problems.

"We are confident that the reconstruction work, inspection and testing will be completed in time for a normal rush hour on Wednesday," said Howard Permut, president of Metro-North.  "We are grateful for the tireless work of all departments and employees engaged in this huge task."

About 100 workers have been on the job around the clock since Saturday removing the damaged trains and repairing the track, Permut said.  Crews are rebuilding about 2,000 feet of track, according to Permut.

The National Transportation Safety Board authorized the removal of rail cars from the crash site on Saturday night, allowing the investigation and clean-up process to proceed. All rail cars were removed by Sunday afternoon and taken to the Bridgeport railyard, according to the NTSB.

Investigators are looking into a broken part of the rail that underwent repairs last month, but have not determined whether it was a pre-existing fracture or if it occurred as a result of the accident, according to NTSB spokesperson Earl Weener, who spoke at a news conference on Saturday afternoon. The board said the FBI has ruled out foul play in the investigation.

The trains were traveling at approximately 70 mph at the time of the crash, which is the posted speed limit, according to the NTSB.

Malloy and other officials spoke at a news conference on Saturday morning where they described a grisly scene after a Metro-North commuter train heading east from New York City derailed and was hit by an oncoming train heading west from New Haven.

"The damage is absolutely staggering," Sen. Blumenthal said. "Ribbons on the sides of cars are torn away like ribbons of clothes."

The NTSB's investigation could take seven to 10 days but that does not mean that service shutdown will take that long, board spokesman Earl Weener said..

The eastbound Metro-North train derailed just after 6 p.m. and was hit between the Bridgeport and Fairfield stations, officials said.

According to Metro-North, around 750 people rode the shuttle trains and boarded buses at Bridgeport to Stamford, which is 20 percent of the 4,000 people who ordinarily board trains at New Haven, Milford and Stratford during the morning peak.

However, overall morning peak ridership on the entire New Haven Line was down just 20 percent, indicating that many people drove to other stations to catch a train.

Metro-North has set up a toll-free number for customers on the trains involved in Friday’s crash to provide assistance. Call at 1-800-638-7646 for information on referral/support services, lost & found items and assistance with any paperwork.

Service Plan

Limited train service resumes to New Haven at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, May 21, and for the remainder of the day.  Customers should expect delays.

To New Haven

• Regular train service from Grand Central Terminal (GCT) to South Norwalk station; with limited service to New Haven Station (representing 50 percent of regular service)
• The first train is the 3:07 PM train leaving GCT and arriving in New Haven at 5 p.m to Grand Central Terminal

Regular train service from New Haven Station to Grand Central Terminal

The first train is the 4:23 PM train leaving New Haven and arriving in Grand Central Terminal at 6:17 p.m.

Regular train service continues on the branch lines.

The New Haven Line Service plan is posted on the MTA Web site.

Two men convicted of abusing a 24-year-old man with severe autism will be released from prison.

Michael Garritson, 62, and Matthew McDuffie, 28, were sentenced Monday in Vista court. They were each sentenced to one year in prison. But both men already have credit for time served, so they will be released.

Garritson received an additional three years of probation.

The victim’s mother, Kim Oakley, says she's shocked and disappointed by the sentencing. She says she was also hoping for an apology.

“I’d like to go back to my son and say, ‘the people that hurt you say they’re sorry.’ I can’t even do that,” Oakley said.

Oakley’s son Jamie has severe autism and is unable to speak. She set up hidden cameras before leaving for vacation last summer. She says the cameras captured 2,000 instances of abuse, including the men twisting her son’s arms and gouging his eyes.

“What I saw on those videos will forever haunt me,” Oakley said.

Garritson and McDuffie were charged last September. Garritson, a registered nurse, was convicted on felony charges last month. McDuffie was found guilty of two misdemeanor counts in a separate trial.

Garritson addressed the court during Monday’s sentencing. He says he had never experienced a patient like Jamie during his 30 years as an R.N.

“I know my behavior looked bad on the video, but I never tried to harm anyone, especially Jamie,” Garritson said.

McDuffie agreed.

“My actions were in no way to cause Jamie bodily harm, physical injury or death,” McDuffie said after his court appearance.

Garritson still faces several fines. A restitution hearing is scheduled for August 28.

For the next week, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy plans to live on the equivalent of a food stamp budget to understand what it means to live on a food budget of $4.80 per day.

Murphy said he is taking the Food Stamp Challenge to better understand how the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program works on a personal level, according to a news release.

The challenge started on Monday.

“427,000 people in Connecticut rely on SNAP benefits to feed themselves and their families,” Murphy said in a statement. “Spending some time living on this budget gives policymakers a firsthand look at the realities of maintaining a balanced and nutritious diet on an extremely limited budget. It’s not easy, but it’s important for people in Washington to understand what our constituents who rely on SNAP face every day. Some lawmakers have proposed steep, damaging cuts to SNAP as part of the Farm Bill here in Congress, and we owe it our constituents  to face up to the reality of those cuts.”
 
As of January of 2013, 12 percent of the state’s population participates in the program. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers the Food Stamp Program, the average monthly benefit in Connecticut is $143.89 per family member, which is $4.80 per day or $1.60 per meal, according to Murphy’s office.
 
Murphy will keep track of his meals and post observations throughout the week via Twitter and Facebook.

In 2011, U.S. Congressman Joe Courtney took the challenge. He and his wife are on $32 per week and he blogged about the experience. http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/Congressman-Lives-on-Food-Stamp-Budget-for-a-Week-132787213.html
 

A man was shot seven times and rushed to a hospital. The woman who drove him there was detained on unrelated charges.

Multiple gunshots rang out in a National City neighborhood near 20th and F Streets around 11:45 p.m. Sunday.

Investigators said several people called 911 to report hearing shots fire and a woman screaming.

National City police said an unidentified man was dropped off at Paradise Valley Hospital with seven gunshot wounds. He was transported to a nearby trauma center and officials said he is expected to survive.

Blood evidence and bullet casings were located at the scene of the shooting officials said.

The woman who drove the victim to Paradise Valley was arrested on a public intoxication charge. Investigators performed a gunshot residue test on the woman as part of routine procedure.

No suspects have been identified or arrested in the shooting.
 

A road raged driver intentionally hit a motorcycle carrying two people on the Coronado Bridge, San Diego Police Department officials confirmed.

The incident happened just before 6 p.m. on Saturday in westbound traffic atop the Coronado Bay Bridge.

According to CHP officials, a motorcyclist exchanged words and hand gestures with the driver of a blue BMW. The driver of the vehicle then allegedly intentionally struck the motorcycle, and two people were thrown from the bike.

SDPD Lt. Paul Rorrison said the incident was an act of road rage.

“I was a deliberate act – it was not an accident. [The male driver] tried to crash into the motorcycle,” Lt. Rorrison told NBC 7.

Police say a woman and toddler were inside the BMW with the male driver when the collision occurred. The driver was arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon.

Lt. Rorrison said an off-duty officer traveling on the bridge at the time of the incident saw the whole thing. The officer first noticed the BMW swerving in and out of traffic at a high rate of speed.

“He almost hit our sergeant’s car and he almost hit another vehicle that was right next to our sergeant’s car,” Lt. Rorrison explained.

Police say the off-duty officer saw the motorcycle come up from behind, then maneuver past the BMW.

Then, tempers flared.

“It appeared to our sergeant that there were some words exchanged between the motorcycle rider and his passenger and the driver of the BMW,” said Lt. Rorrison. “Our sergeant saw the driver of the BMW look at the motorcycle, make some sort of gesture and turn directly into it, striking it.”

Police say both occupants of the motorcycle were thrown off it in the crash. The driver then fled the scene, and the sergeant chased him, detaining him once he stopped in Coronado.

Lt. Rorrison said the road raged driver began following orders once the sergeant identified himself.

The driver was directed to stay in the car, but allegedly attempted to get out of the vehicle and flee at least twice, according to police.

The two motorcycle victims were taken to UCSD Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.

The incident is under investigation. The names of the driver and motorcycle occupants have not been released.

It's all about the odds, and one lone ticket in Florida has beaten them all by matching each of the numbers drawn for the highest Powerball jackpot in history at an estimated $590.5 million, lottery officials said Sunday.

The single winner was sold at a supermarket in Zephyrhills, Fla., according to Florida Lottery executive Cindy O'Connell. She told The Associated Press by telephone that more details would be released later.

"This would be the sixth Florida Powerball winner and right now, it's the sole winner of the largest ever Powerball jackpot," O'Connell told AP. "We're delighted right now that we have the sole winner."

She said Florida has had more Powerball winners than any other state.

The winner was not immediately identified publicly and O'Connell did not give any indication just hours after Saturday's drawing whether anyone had already stepped forward with that winning ticket.

With four out of every five possible combinations of Powerball numbers in play, lottery executives said earlier that someone was almost certain to win the game's highest jackpot, a windfall of hundreds of millions of dollars — and that's after taxes.

Saturday night's winning numbers were 10, 13, 14, 22 and 52, with a Powerball of 11.

Estimates had earlier put the jackpot at around $600 million. But Powerball's online site said Sunday that the jackpot had reached an estimated $590.5 million.

Terry Rich, CEO of the Iowa Lottery, initially confirmed that one Florida winning ticket had been sold. He told AP that following the Florida winner, the Powerball grand prize was being reset at an estimated jackpot of $40 million, or about $25.1 million cash value.

The chances of winning the prize were astronomically low: 1 in 175.2 million. That's how many different ways you can combine the numbers when you play. But lottery officials estimated that about 80 percent of those possible combinations had been purchased recently.

While the odds are low for any one individual or individuals, O'Connell said, the chance that one hits paydirt is what makes Powerball an "exciting game to play."

"There is just the chance that you will have the opportunity and Florida is a huge Powerball state. We have had more winners than any other state that participates in Powerball."

Such longshot odds didn't deter people across Powerball-playing states — 43 plus Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands — from lining up at gas stations and convenience stores Saturday for their chance at striking it filthy rich.

Calls by AP to the Publix supermarket outlet in Florida where the winning ticket was sold were not answered Sunday.

Elsewhere, Rich said, lottery officials reported 33 winning tickets for a $1,000,000 prize each were sold around 17 states, led by six tickets in New York. He said lotteries reported 2 winning tickets each for the $2,000,000 PowerPlay, one in New York and the other in South Carolina.

Before the drawing, there was a rush for tickets around the country.

At a mini market in the heart of Los Angeles' Chinatown, employees broke the steady stream of customers into two lines: One for Powerball ticket buyers and one for everybody else. Some people appeared to be looking for a little karma.

"We've had two winners over $10 million here over the years, so people in the neighborhood think this is the lucky store," employee Gordon Chan said as he replenished a stack of lottery tickets on a counter.

The world's largest jackpot was a $656 million Mega Millions jackpot in March 2012. If $600 million, the jackpot would currently include a $376.9 million cash option.

Clyde Barrow, a public policy professor at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, specializes in the gaming industry. He said one of the key factors behind the ticket-buying frenzy is the size of the jackpot — people are interested in the easy investment.

"Even though the odds are very low, the investment is very small," he said. "Two dollars gets you a chance."

That may be why Ed McCuen has a Powerball habit that's as regular as clockwork. The 57-year-old electrical contractor from Savannah, Ga., buys one ticket a week, regardless of the possible loot. It's a habit he didn't alter Saturday.

"You've got one shot in a gazillion or whatever," McCuen said, tucking his ticket in his pocket as he left a local convenience store. "You can't win unless you buy a ticket. But whether you buy one or 10 or 20, it's insignificant."

Seema Sharma doesn't seem to think so. The newsstand employee in Manhattan's Penn Station purchased $80 worth of tickets for herself. She also was selling tickets all morning at a steady pace, instructing buyers where to stand if they wanted machine-picked tickets or to choose their own numbers.

"I work very hard — too hard — and I want to get the money so I can finally relax," she said. "You never know."

A gas leak in Escondido closed a section of E Valley Parkway on Monday, according to police.

The leak was discovered around 10 a.m. at 1600 E Valley Parkway at a business. Police then closed the road between Rose Street and Midway Drive in both directions for drivers and pedestrians for nearly 2 hours.

Evacuations were also ordered at Palomar College Escondido Education Center, located at 1915 E. Valley Pkwy.

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney holds the daily briefing.